Ukraine is facing serious difficulties intercepting Russia’s jet-powered Geran drones, prompting Ukrainian developers to race against time to create faster countermeasures, The New York Times (NYT) reports.

According to the newspaper, Ukrainian companies are developing jet-powered interceptor drones designed to pursue and destroy aerial targets traveling at speeds of several hundred kilometers per hour.

Some of these projects involve artificial intelligence-based guidance systems intended to help interceptors track and engage drones operated by Russian forces.

Developers are working under intense time pressure as existing Ukrainian air defense systems cannot always respond quickly enough to newer versions of the Geran drones. These limitations have forced Ukraine to accelerate its search for more effective interception technology.

However, testing has yet to produce the expected results.

During one recent trial described by the NYT, an interceptor drone was launched from a catapult but managed to fly only a few dozen meters before crashing to the ground.

Representatives of the Ukrainian Air Force who attended the demonstration made no attempt to conceal their disappointment with the failed test, according to the newspaper.